By Barry Wilner, AP Football Writer
NEW YORK â€” New England's undefeated season now includes yet another achievement: Bill Belichick is The Associated Press 2007 NFL Coach of the Year.

The first coach since Don Shula in 1972 to lead his team through a spotless regular season, Belichick won the award Thursday for the second time in four years. In 2003, the Patriots went 14-2 and won their final 12 games. This time, Belichick's team rampaged through the first part of the schedule, then won a handful of close games on their way to 16-0.

That was enough to offset the major blemish on Belichick's resume: a $500,000 personal fine, $250,000 fine for the team and the loss of a first-round pick in the upcoming draft after the Patriots were caught videotaping New York Jets coaches during the season opener.

Spygate didn't stop 29 of the 50 voters on a nationwide panel of media members who cover the NFL from voting for Belichick. In a season highlighted by many strong coaching performances, Belichick beat out Green Bay's Mike McCarthy, who received 15 votes for leading the Packers to a 13-3 record and the NFC North title.

"Any time we win we're excited," Belichick said after completing the perfect regular season with a 38-35 victory over the New York Giants. "With the success we've had this season, (the Giants) game puts a certain little bit more of a degree of satisfaction in that game because of the culmination of the regular season. But, at the same time, we've got plenty of things that we need to work on."